Minutes of the
regular meeting of the Georgetown Township Planning Commission, held Wednesday,
January 19, 2005
Meeting called to order by
Chairman Honderd at 7:30 p.m.
Present: Honderd, Huizinga, Poskey, South,
DeGood, Pearson, Stasiak
Absent: none
#050119-01 - Agenda for January 19, 2005
Moved by DeGood,
seconded by Stasiak, to approve the agenda for January 19, 2005, as presented.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#050119-02 - Minutes of the December 15, 2004 regular
meeting and the January 5, 2005
work session meeting
Moved
by South, seconded by DeGood, to approve the minutes of the December 15, 2004
regular meeting, as submitted.
MOTION
CARRIED.
Moved
by South, seconded by DeGood, to approve the minutes of the January 5, 2005
work session meeting, as submitted.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#050119-03 - Unfinished Business Preliminary Plat of
Cedar Lake Estates No. 11
It
was noted that a representative from Exxel Engineering had stated to the zoning
administrator that issues with the agreement still had to be worked out between
the developer and the Township. No new
information was available. The item was
left tabled.
#050119-04 - Preliminary Plat of Lowing Woods Phase
One and Preliminary Plat of Lowing
Woods Phase Two and Planned Unit
Development (PUD0501) Eastbrook Development (Lowing Woods)-Final Development
Plan
Poskey
abstained from discussion and voting.
No
one was present in the audience to speak at the public hearing.
There
was discussion regarding the letter from Rick Pulaski dated January 18, 2005
asking for the items to be tabled and the letter from the letter from the
Ottawa County Road Commission dated January 7, 2005.
Moved
by Huizinga, seconded by Pearson, to recommend to the Ottawa County Road
Commission that from a planning standpoint, the Planning Commission preferred
that the two cul-de-sacs remain as shown in the current plan and that a stub
street be provided adjoining to the property to the east.
MOTION
CARRIED.
Moved
by Huizinga, seconded by Stasiak, to table as requested by the applicant due to
issues with the Ottawa County Road Commission.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#050119-05 - Ordinance Amendments
a. Sec.
25.2(T) and Sec. 25.4(I)
It
was noted that the following amendments were proposed by the supervisor to
address garage sale signs.
Moved
by Pearson, seconded by DeGood, to recommend to the Township Board approval of
the ordinance amendments as follows:
Sec.
25.2(T) Garage-sale sign.
A sign displayed for a limited period of time to provide information
relating to a residential garage sale when such use has not become
permanent. Such sign could be located
off-site with permission from the property owner. An address shall be provided on the sign as
to the location of the sale. Such
address shall be displayed in a
block text having a minimum height of four (4) inches and a color that
contrasts with the color of the background on which the address is
displayed.
The
following signs are permitted in all zoning districts and are exempt from
regulations of this Chapter.
(I) Garage-sale
signs not exceeding four (4) square foot in area, not located within any public
right-of-way or on any utility pole, when the person responsible for placing
the sign provides their address on the sign along with a date for the first day
of display period. The sign could be
displayed for a maximum time period of seven (7) days or less.
MOTION CARRIED.
b. Sec.
26.9 (K) and (L)
It
was noted that the proposed amendments were to allow for a reduction in parking
space requirements if the Planning Commission believed that a reduction is
warranted. The amendments were a result
of the Planning Commission’s concern that developments have too much asphalt
and too little landscaping. The
amendments also address maximum number of parking spaces.
Moved
by Stasiak, seconded by DeGood, to recommend to the Township Board approval of
the proposed amendments as follows, including the language change to e:
Sec. 26.9 MISCELLANEOUS OFF-STREET PARKING PROVISIONS.
(K) The Planning Commission may grant a reduction in the required
number of parking spaces for
commercial,
industrial or mixed use developments from one space up to a maximum of
twenty-five (25) percent of the number of required spaces as calculated from
Chapter 26, based on the following:
a.
The applicant
has demonstrated that the parking needs
of the development would be adequately served due to factors such as joint use
of common space for varying time periods of use or with alternate modes of
transportation;
b.
With the
condition that if the site and/or development is changed in any way by
additional development, change in the size of the property or change of use,
the parking requirements would be recalculated and reevaluated, and the
reduction eliminated if the determination is made that the waived parking
spaces are needed to meet the needs of the changed development or site.
c.
If the
reduction is eliminated due to the mentioned site/development changes, the
newly calculated number of parking spaces shall be provided prior to any
approvals being granted for a change in use, parcel size, or additional
development.
d.
In granting
the reduction, the determination must be made that the reduction will not cause
unreasonable negative impacts to the surrounding properties.
e.
Additional
documentation could be required to provide assurances that the circumstances which
warranted the reduction do not change, such as the use or size of development.
f.
Adequate space
is provided for snow removal and storage.
g.
That in reducing
the required number of parking spaces, the intention is for more green space or
landscaped areas to be provided, in addition to less paved surfaces that
require storm water runoff.
(L) Parking lots may contain up to twenty (20) percent more spaces
than the required minimum.
Any
additional spaces above twenty (20) percent shall be allowed only upon the
finding by the Planning Commission that additional spaces are needed. In such cases, the Planning Commission may
stipulate a maximum number of parking spaces that shall be provided in addition
to the required number as calculated from Chapter 26.
MOTION CARRIED.
c. Sec.
2.26a. and Chapter 24(o)
It
was noted that the amendments were clarifications to the ordinance to make the
use of decks clearer.
Moved
by DeGood, seconded by South, to recommend to the Township Board approval of
the ordinance amendments as follows:
Sec. 2.26a. DECK.
A horizontal, unenclosed
platform with or without attached railings, seats, trellises, or other
features, attached or functionally related to a principal use or site and at
any point extending above ground level.
Chapter 24(o) Projections Into Yards. Architectural
features, as defined, not including vertical projections, may extend or project
into a required side yard not more than two (2) inches for each one (1) foot of
width of such side yard and may extend or project into a required front yard or
rear yard not more than three (3) feet. An open porch, paved patio, deck
or terrace may project into a required front or rear yard for a distance not to
exceed twelve (12) feet.
MOTION CARRIED.
d. Sec.
3.4(E)(2) and Sec. 3.4(E)(7)
It
was noted that the proposed amendments were to allow nonresidential uses in
residential districts to have accessory buildings larger than 600 square feet
and to clarify that the 600 square foot limit is for primary residential uses
in residential districts.
Moved
by South, seconded by DeGood, to recommend to the Township Board approval of
the ordinance amendments as follows:
Sec. 3.4(E)(2) The maximum floor area of all accessory
buildings, excluding attached garages, which are accessory to primary
residential uses, shall be six hundred (600) square feet, unless otherwise
provided for in this section, in the following districts:
a.
LDR
b.
LMR
c.
MDR
d.
MHR
Sec. 3.4(E)(7) The maximum floor area of all accessory
buildings, excluding attached garages, which are accessory to primary non-residential
uses, shall be subject to the following square footage requirements based on
parcel sizes within the LDR, LMR, MDR and MHR zoning districts:
a.
Less than two
(2) acres: Six hundred (600) square feet,
b.
Two (2) to
five (5) acres: One thousand two hundred (1200) square feet,
c.
More than five
(5) acres: One thousand five hundred (1500) square feet.
MOTION
CARRIED.
e. Sec.
25.6
It
was noted that the proposed amendments clarified that signs must meet the same
setback requirements as those listed in Chapter 24 footnote b.
Moved
by Pearson, seconded by Stasiak, to recommend to the Township Board approval of
the ordinance amendments as follows:
Signs are permitted according to the District in which they are located or intended to be
located. Certain types of signs are permitted
in certain Districts according to the following regulations:
(A) Residential Districts. The
following types of signs are permitted:
(2) TEMPORARY SIGN, one (1) per lot. A
temporary sign shall not exceed thirty-two (32) square feet in area; shall be
set back from any right-of-way or distance as required in Chapter 24(b)
at least fifteen (15) feet; and shall be removed from view during periods when
the use or activity to which it relates is no longer operating or in season.
(3) INSTITUTIONAL BULLETIN BOARD, one per
public or semi-public institution site, located on-site, not exceeding
seventy-five (75) square feet in area per side (revised 6-25-2001) and set back
at least twenty-five (25) feet from all property and right-of-way (revised
1-24-2000) lines or distance as required in Chapter 24(b). The sign shall be mounted directly on the
ground and its height shall not exceed six (6) feet above mean grade.
(5) PLAT ENTRY SIGNS, two per road entrance
to a subdivision, mobile home park, or multiple-family development,
continuously and properly maintained; not exceeding a total of sixty-four (64)
square feet in area nor three (3) feet in height and set back at least ten (10)
feet from any property line or right-of-way line or distance as required in
Chapter 24(b).
(6)
PORTABLE SIGN, one (1) portable sign per parcel, not exceeding
thirty-two (32) square
feet in area per sign and set back at least ten
(10) feet from the road right-of-way line or
distance as required in Chapter 24(b). No electrical cord attached to the sign shall
extend
more than six (6) feet from the power source to
the sign. Such sign shall not be
displayed
for more than seven (7) consecutive days and
shall not be permitted more than six (6)
such display periods during the calendar
year. A separate permit and fee shall be
required
for each display period and the permit sticker
shall be affixed to the sign for the entire
display period.
(B) Neighborhood, Community and Office
Service Districts. The following types of signs are permitted:
(2) FREESTANDING SIGN, one (1) freestanding
sign per business or business center, as applicable. Such sign if mounted on a pole shall not
extend over the road right-of-way nor shall it extend over the distance from
which a required setback shall be measured as required in Chapter 24(b) from
a point 50 feet from the centerline of the street if the street is listed in
Sec. 24(b)i or a point 60 feet from the centerline of the street if the street
is listed in Sec. 24(b)ii, and shall not exceed twenty-five (25) feet in
height nor seventy-five (75) square feet in area per side, provided a business
center sign may be permitted up to one hundred (100) square feet in area per
side. Such sign shall have a clear space
of at least eight (8) feet from the ground to the bottom of the sign. If mounted on the ground, such sign shall not
exceed four (4) feet in height as measured from the mean grade nor fifty (50)
square feet per side, provided that such sign shall be set back from the road
right-of-way and the distance from which a required setback shall be measured as
required in Chapter 24(b) from a point 50 feet from the centerline of
the street if the street is listed in Sec. 24(b)i or a point 60 feet from the
centerline of the street if the street is listed in Sec. 24(b)ii a minimum
distance of fifteen (15) feet and shall
not, as determined by the Zoning Administrator, obstruct the view of traffic
entering or traveling upon the street. (revised 7/25/95) (revised 5-29-01)
(C) Highway Service and Industrial Districts. No signs
shall be located nearer the front lot line or side lot line than one-half (1/2)
times the required yard setback. The
following types of signs are permitted:
(2) BILLBOARDS, where the erection or
maintenance of the same will not unreasonably affect the proper use of
adjoining property, billboards will be allowed in (HS) Highway Service and (I) Industrial Zones.
They shall be located at least 200 feet from a freeway right-of-way line
or distance as required in Chapter 24(b), and 100 feet from any other
street or railroad right-of-way line. A
billboard shall not be located closer than one mile (5,280 feet) from another
billboard on either side of a public right-of-way. This spacing standard shall be applicable
regardless of what governmental jurisdiction other billboards may be located
in.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#050119-06 – Other Business
There
was discussion regarding the enforcement of floodplain regulations and that it
would be beneficial for floodplain details to be shown on all plans submitted
to the Planning Commission. The zoning
administrator stated that the Zoning Ordinance requires that floodplain details
be shown on site plans; however, there is no mention in the ordinance that
floodplain details be shown on planned unit developments.
The
planner suggested that wording be added to the ordinance requirements for plans
for PUD’s to the effect that the submittals must include all the elements listed
in Sec. 19.4 for site plans including floodplain details plus those elements
listed in Chapter 22.
Moved
by DeGood, seconded by Pearson, to initiate an ordinance amendment to require
that floodplain details be shown on Planned Unit Development plans.
MOTION
CARRIED.
#050119-07 – Adjournment
The
chairman adjourned the meeting at 8:12 p.m.